Writer David Nicholl’s silent soundtrack trick
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Just like any other jobbing writer, there have been times when I’ve been inspired to use the lyric of a song. Just a line or two. And I’ve dropped them in, thinking that, surely, must count as fair dealing. Turns out no. If I want to quote Ulvaeus and Andersson, it’ll take quite a bit of money, money, money.
So imagine my admiring nod of admiration when reading David Nicholl’s latest (and really rather brilliant) novel ‘You Are Here‘. Mid-way through, two characters share the shuffled contents of their music library. We get to listen in, thanks to his use of a subtle yet powerful technique: referencing big hit songs without directly quoting their lyrics. A masterclass in creative writing and literary economics.
Back story
Nicholls invokes Grace Jones, No Doubt and even 2Unlimited. The trick is to pick songs most people stand a chance of having heard at some point in our lives. Songs well-known enough to exist in his reader’s collective consciousness. Pull up to the Bumper, Don’t Speak, No Limit. By referencing songs from specific eras, Nicholls instantly transported me to when I first heard it, or some sticky carpeted student room, passing a can of Breaker around as it played on someone’s music centre.
This approach is financially savvy, playing with the songs, quoting the odd word, or picking out a phrase to provide insight into his characters, their emotional state and back story. And because I know these songs, they start playing on my internal Wurlitzer. All while the musical genius behind ‘no no, no no no no, no no no no, no no’ has to make do with reflected glory, rather than a bank transfer.
Show not tell
David Nicholls is a writer at the top of his game. He knows his audience. He’s worked out which titles come with baggage and layers on enough context for readers to sing along in their heads. His focus stays on the emotions evoked rather than specific words.
Writing with the reader in mind is what makes ‘You Are Here‘ such a dream for me. He’s upcycling comfortable shoes with jazzy new laces. The right songs invoke a mood, and tick the ‘show not tell’ box on any writer’s check list.
And it cheers up the people in Marketing. They can use Spotify playlists to boost word of mouth, extending the novel’s impact beyond its pages and into the daily life of each reader.
For me, it’s been a valuable lesson in how my mind’s eye creates a show reel of memories. There’s always something to see, sometimes a smell, but most dreams (and almost all nightmares) come with the sound up full.
